What you actually see (and is often mistaken for branding) is the decorative attractions added to the structure. That’s the logo, the colours, the graphics, the tagline. They add to it, but don’t make it.

A brand is a promise. You need to know what makes up that promise, and then how you are going to deliver it. And continue to do it, again and again.”

To have strong brand, you need to clearly define what your brand stands for. That means its identity, personality, the emotions people feel when they come in contact with it and the values you’ve built into its story.

None of those things come with a logo.

A brand’s essence is the representation of its heart, soul and spirit – the intangible emotions felt when customers experience the brand, and is often best described with one word.

Rather than having a futile attempt to try and improve on perfection … here’s a brilliant SlideShare from BrandSTOKE – The 9 Criteria for Brand Essence that says it all.